Something Personal: My Understanding of Autism

Essay Instructions:

For this first essay, I am hoping to see two main components in your essay: A thesis/ focus and support. Sure, it would be great to see a catchy introduction or even correct comma usage, but my goals for this first essay pretty much come down to (1) an argument and (2) support for that argument.
ENG 101 (Fall 2022)
Essay #1 Assignment (Turn via Blackboard between September 13-17 – look for the link at the
bottom of the Essay 1 File Folder when we get to those dates!)
As you know by now, for this first assignment, we will watch two short videos. Make sure you
have critically examined each of these texts (and taken the online quiz) before moving on to
working on the essay. As you will notice, these two videos ask us to think about how we define
ourselves and this will be the topic of our first essay this semester:
⦁ Ted Talks Video: “Looks Aren’t Everything” (Cameron Russell; 2013)
⦁ Ted Talks Video: “I Survived a Terrorist Attack: Here’s What I Learned” (Gill Hicks; 2016)
*****************************************************************************
Choose one of the following questions for your first essay:
⦁ Who are you? Can you respond in a succinct way? Are you a “cat lady”? A “computer
nerd”? A “jock”?
⦁ Many folks say that we are “a collection of constantly changing parts.” What do you
think is the one “thing” that has changed the most for you in the last year? Five years?
Maybe ten years?
⦁ Of course, being perceived as a terrorist because you look Middle-Eastern is one
stereotype that we have in our culture. How are you limited/ affected/ defined by a
stereotype?
⦁ Has an experience “created” you or “changed” you in any way? (like what happened to
Gill Hicks in the second link noted above). For example, perhaps you were involved in a
car accident and now see the world differently than you did before?
⦁ May people respond to the question of “Who are you?” by mentioning an item or an
object. Is there any one “object” in your life that you think best represents you?
⦁ I am open to other ideas – just run them by me first so that I can be sure that you can “use”
the texts above in some way.
As we work this semester, I will be encouraging you to come up with a thesis/ focus for each of
your essays, as well as appropriate development to help you support that thesis.
For example, I might come up with the thesis below in terms of thinking about an item that has
impacted me and my personality:
A recent quilt that I made as a gift for my best friend best represents who I am as
a person: quirky and colorful.
So … what would I need to do to support this thesis/ argument? Yep, I might need to start by
describing this particular quilt (and assuming my reader doesn’t know anything about what this
quilt looks like – or even what a quilt is) and then focusing on the two traits (“quirky” and
“colorful”) that I note in my thesis.
In short, for this first essay, make sure you have a thesis/ focus and support. The most popular
question? You guessed it – How long does my essay need to be? My response is “as long as it
takes you to get the job done.” I would guess that most of the essays you write in this class will
be approximately three pages long, though they might end up being shorter or longer
depending on the support that you bring into your argument.
You are welcome to use the two videos we watched in your essay but you don’t have to – it
probably depends on what you end up arguing. For example, if I want to argue something
about my body or the way I look, then Cameron Russell’s comments might be interesting to
bring into my discussion.
One last note: Edit and proofread carefully once you feel like you have a solid thesis and
development!

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Something Personal: My Understanding of Autism
The one thing that has changed the most for me in the last five years is my understanding of autism as a result of parenting an autistic child. Autism is a condition that continues to be shrouded in mystery and controversy. This is primarily due to the diversity of its characteristics. As such, the disorder continues to generate debates regarding its definition, diagnosis, and treatment. It happens against the backdrop of extensive efforts by researchers to demystify the disorder. Given its complicated nature, parenting an autistic child, more often than not, is not a walk in the park. Such parents have to contend with all manner of challenges daily. The challenges include stigmatization, financial burdens, and stress, among others. As such, many such parents become overwhelmed, angry, and confused, among other reactions. In my case, parenting an autistic child has changed my perception of autism, helped me learn new communication skills, and elevated my understanding of the disorder.
Caring for an autistic child has significantly changed my overall perception of autism. In the past, I dismissed the condition offhandedly; I never gave it much thought. However, since the entry of an autistic child into my life, I have developed an elevated interest in the condition. Regarding my perception, I used to think that bringing up such a child would alienate me from my friends and society. What informed my inference was the stigma I had observed people ignorantly attaching to the condition. Thankfully, due to intensive sensitization and awareness of the disorder, stigma has reduced remarkably. As such, my friends have overwhelmingly supported me morally in the last five years.
Regarding finances, the burden has not been enormous for me. In actual fact, I have bought a car and own a business besides three rental apartments. However, the going may have been unbearable without moral support from the people around me. Caring for an autistic child is a strenuous affair that can sometimes be emotionally draining. It is worth noting that when I discovered my child had autism, I felt pretty depressed and helpless. My first instinct was to hide him from the public for fear of stigma. However, through the help of caregivers, my perception went through a complete turn-around. My son is now five years old, and I can now move around with him without the slightest inhibitions or misgivings.
I have also had to learn new communication skills. This is because one way the condition manifests itself is shortcomings in social communication. Children with autism, as in my case, find it difficult to express themselves verbally. This inability tends to make my child increasingly agitated and aggressive. He manifests his anger by kicking, hitting, or throwing objects and som...

Updated on January 26, 2024

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